Dumping hopper



A. E. ZIMMER DUMPING HOPPER April 10, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 24, 1952 A. E. ZIMMER DUMPING HOPPER April 1o, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1952 wmf IN VAEN TOR. QZe/amfzef; iwf? yymfm/ April 10, 1956 A. E. ZIMMER DUMPING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 24. 1952 NNN EN. @QN

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DUMPING HOPPER Filed April 24, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

MM# W nited States Patent F DUMPING HOPPER Albert E. Zimmer, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, ill., a corporation of illinois Application April 24, 1952, Serial No. 284,097

6 Claims. (Cl. 10S-290) This invention relates to an improved dumping hopper such as used in connection with a portable container or a dumping railway car and the like.

The objects of the invention, among others, are to provide improved mechanism for operating a pair of dumping doors which, when in closed position, meet in V- shaped relation; to provide for operating toggle locking mechanism connecting a pair of doors from a location ad` jacent the pivotal axis of one of the dumping doors; to provide mechanism which compensates for variations in the distance between the pivotal centers ofy a sprocket and chain connection extending between a dumping door and the hopper structure; to provide an improved lost motion safety clutch connection for a dump door mechanism; and more specifically, to provide an improved mechanism for operating apair of swingingly mounted doors from a location adjacent the pivotal axis of one of the doors by means of a driving sprocket rotatably mounted on the hopper structure and operating to rotate an operating shaft carried by one of the doors.

The invention further resides in certain details of construction such as will be pointed out hereinafter.

For further comprehension of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal side view of a container with the guard plate omitted, said container having a pair or dumping doors and the improvements of the present invention applied thereto, said View illustrating in full line the doors in closed position and the toggle locking mechanism in closed position and illustrating by conventional dot and dash lines the position of certain of the parts with the doors in opened position.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the operating mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view at an enlarged scale taken generally along the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken through the lost motion mechanism and on aline 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a modified embodiment of the invention showing a vertical sectional view taken through the lower portion of a railway dumping car, said view showing the doors in toggle locked position and indicating by conventional dot and dash lines the position of the doors when they are in opened position.

Figure 6 is a side longitudinal elevational View of the car structure shown in Figure 5 with a portion of the sill broken away to show the mechanism adjacent the operating end of the doors, said broken away section being taken on line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a portion of therstructure shown in Figure 5 illustrating so much of the caras necessary to illustrate the mechanism in relation to the operating end of the doors.

Figure 8 is a fractional vertical transverse sectional view taken on a line 8 8 of Figure 7 and showing the locking pawl mechanism in locked position and illus- 2,741,193 Patented Apr. 10, 1956 trating the clutch segments in position with the mechaj nism locked.

Figure 9 is a fractional vertical sectional view snmlar to Figure 8, except that the locking pawl mechanism is l shown in released position and the clutch mechanism in position with the lost motion taken up preparatory to releasing the mechanism.

Referring rirst to the construction shown in Figures l to 4, inclusive, the improvements are shown as embodied in a portable container having a four-sided hopper 1% with a supporting framework including a base portion formed of longitudinally extending beam members lill united by transversely extending beam members 103 and lilo, and extending vertically therefrom at the juncture of said longitudinal and transverse members are corner posts 195 of angular shape which are secured to said beam members at 106 and further braced thereto by diagonally disposed braces lo?.

The hopper 1u@ is formed of sloping end walls 168 and 169 which connect with side walls 111 to form a foursided hopper leading to a fonrsided discharge opening 112. The respective end walls 108 and 1&9 are suitably reinforced by angle shaped members 113 which in turn are braced to the corner posts by means of diagonally extending braces 114i. At the lower margin of each sloping end wall a reinforcing angle member 115 is provided, and secured thereto are hinge butts 116 for receiving pintles 117 for supporting dum ing doors 11S. The doors 11S are arranged to swing to closed position and meet in V-shaped relation.

The side walls 111 of the hopper 1433 include substantially vertically disposed sections 119 which are spaced inwardly from the corner side posts 195 to form a space for housing door operating and retaining mechanisms as will be described hereinafter. The side walls 111 diverge outwardly at an angle from the vertical sections to present slopes 129 and thence extend upwardly to form attaching flanges 121. At the lower margins of the vertical sections 119 are Z-shaped reinforcements 122 against which the doors 118 bear when in closed position.

The doors 118 adjacent their swinging edges are reinforced by means of Z-shaped beam members 124, and coacting with them at each end of the doors 118 is a toggle acting locking mechanism including a link pivotally connected at one end at 125 to arm 125, the latter being rigidly connected to an operating shaft 127 which in turn is rotatably mounted in brackets 128 carried by the beam member 124 of the related door. The pivoal connection of link member 125 with the door 118 is carried out through the medium of an adjusting eyebolt 129 which is adjustably mounted on a bracket 139 carried by the beam member 124 of the door.

The toggle mechanism is of the jacliknife type and is arranged to fold, as shown in Figure 1, when in operative lockingposition and is swingable through an arc of approximately degrees to open position, the link 125 and arm 125 assuming a straight line position when the doors 11g are opened as shown by broken lines in Figure l.

Operation of the toggle mechanism is eit'ected by a link chain connection 131 operable through the medium of driven and driving sprockets 132 and 133 carried by the operating shaft 127 and the hopper framing, respectively. The operating sprocket 133 is pivotally mounted to rotate about an axis 134 disposed at one side of the pivotal axis 11S of the adjacent door 11S and consequently the axis 127 of shaft 127 swings on an arc 135 whereas a similar arc 136 swung on a radius from the axis 13a of sprocket 133 is of lesser length. The variation the distances between the sprockets 132 and 133 brought about by the swinging movement of the door 118 is compensated for by disposing the contours of each of the sprockets 132 and 133 eccentric'ally with respect to the axes about which they rotate.

The driving sprocket wheel 133 is loosely mounted on an axle like hollow shaft member 137 to provide `a limited formed integrally therewith is a ratchet wheel 142 with which a locking pawl 143 cooperates to prevent reverse rotation of the shaft 137. The ratchet wheel 142, Figure 4, is formed with an annular section having a segmental lug 145 adapted to engage with a segmental shaped extension 146 from the driving sprocket 133. The lug 145, during the opening operation of the doors 118, contacts the abutting surface 16.7 of the extension 146 and during theel/:Ising operation abutting surface 1 48 ofthe lug 2li-i5 engages the abutting surface 149 of extension 145 therebyallowing suicient lost motion between the lug 145 and extensionV 145 as to permit the full sweep of the toggle mechanism independently of the rotating shaft 137. A locking dog 154) cooperates with the pawl M3 to lock the same in the position shown in Figure l.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, 22) and 291 indicate the longitudinal side sills of a railway car which carry door hinge brackets 202 f or pivotally supporting at 203 dumping doors 264 and 265. The doors 2M and 205 'are arranged to swing to closed position to meet in ll-shaped relation andare retained in such position by toggle acting locking mechanism including an arm 2do and a link 297, the latter being pivoted at one end to door 265 at 298 and having the opposite end pivoted at 269 to the arm 206. The toggle mechanism is duplicated at each end of the doors24 and 295 and in order to cause both mechanisms to function in unison the respective arms 206--206 are nonrotatably mounted on an operating shaft 210 which in turn is rotatably supported in bearings 211 carried by the door 2%5 along its swinging edge.

The doors 294 and 205 are suitably braced adjacent their swinging edges by beam members 212 and 213, the former forming a support for the brackets 211 and beam 213 having secured thereto brackets 214 which constitute the supporting means for adjusting screw threaded nuts 215 and complementary threaded eyebolts 216 where- 3 by variations in the door closing relation may be effected,

as will be understood.

Operation of the shaft 21) is preferably effected through the medium of sprocket and link chain connection including a sprocket wheel 2l? non-rotatably mounted on an end of the shaft 219' and interconnected by a link chain 218 with another sprocket 219, the latter being mounted to rotate about an axis 219' stationarily disposed on the car structure. Rotation of the sprocket 219 is eected through the medium of a cross-shaft 220 which connects with thev sprocket wheel 219 by means of a bevel gear 221 and bevel gear pinion 222, the latter being non-rotatably mounted on the cross-shaft 220 and the gear 221 having engagement with the sprocket wheel through the medium of a lost motion clutch connection, Figure 9, including interengaging segmental lugs 223 and 224 respectively movable in unison with the sprocket wheel 219 and the bevel gear 221. The sprocket wheel 219 is mounted loosely on a short hollow shaft 225 which in turn is mounted for rotation in bearing brackets 226 and 227 and integrally formed with hollow shaft 225 and disposed intermediate the bearing brackets 226 and 227 is a ratchet wheel 223 having an inner annular hollow portion 229 within which the segmental lug 223 of the 4 sprocket 219 is extended to Vctr-act Ywith the segmental lug 224twhich latter is formed integrally with the inner face 239 of the hollow portion 229 of the ratchet wheel 228. The segmental lugs 223 and 224 together extend through an angular distance limited to provide a full half revolution of free movement of the sprocket Wheel 219 and thereby provide for free rotary movement of the shaft 210 throughout the entire 'range of door opening movement. The vbevel gear 221 is rigidly mounted on the outer end of the short shaft 225 and is secured in place by a rivet 231.

The mechanism is maintained against reverse rotation by means of a Adeterit 232, Figure 8, which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 226 at 233 and it is biased by gravity to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22S. The detent 232 is arranged for operation from either side of the car and to this end a cross-shaft 234 is provided and fitted with handles 235 at the ends. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 234 is a cam member 236 having oppositely disposed'axially spaced cam sections 237 Y and 233 adapted respectivelyto engage the detent 232 on opposite sides of theY detent pivot 233 to tilt it from operative latching position, Figure 8, to non-operative position, Figure`9, and vice versa.

The pivotal axis 219' of the sprocket wheel 19, as shown in Figure 5,`is preferably disposed at `a location spaced appreciably below the pivot 263 of the related door 295 whichV results in a variation in the distance between the pivotal aXes of the respective sprocket wheels 217 and .219. To compensate for such variations these sprocket wheels are eccentrically mounted.

What is claimed as new is:

l.`In a load containing hopper structure having a discharge opening and a pair of oppositely'swinging doors arranged to meet in V-shaped relation; toggle Vlocking mechanism connecting the respective doors, said mecha-` nism including a rotatably mounted arm journalled in one door and a link pivoted to the arm and to the companion door and disposed in toggle locked relation when said 'doors are closed, means for rotating the arm including a driven sprocket wheel xedly mounted in relation to the arm and a driving sprocket wheel rotatably mounted on the hopper structure at one yside of the door hinge axis, and an endless chain trained over said sprocket wheels whereby rotation of said 4driving sprocket wheel in either direction positively effects rotation of said driven sprocket Vwheel in the corresponding direction to operate said toggle locking mechanism from and to toggle locked position and to open and close said doors.

2. The structure, according to claim 1, wherein the contours of the sprocket wheels are Veccentrically related to their respective pivotal axes to compensate for variations in the distance between sprocket wheel centers as the doors swing between open and closed positions.

3. The structure, according to claim l, wherein a shaft having an operating head is rotatably supportedA on the hopper structure and wherein interengaging lugs are provided between said shaft and the driving'sprocket wheel to provide full rotatable movement of the toggle mechanism independently of the operating head.

4. In a load containing hopper structure having a discharge opening and a pairof oppositely swinging doors for closing the opening, said doors when in closed position meeting in V-sh'apedy Irelation, and toggle locking mechanism for retaining the doors in closed position including an arm pivoted to one door and a linkrpivoted to the Y opposite door and to the arm; means for rotating the arm including a driven sprocket fixed to the arm and a driving sprocket rotatably mounted on the hopper structure, Van endless link belt connection trained over said sprockets whereby rotation of said driving sprocket in either directionpositively effects rotation of said driven sprocket in the corresponding direction to operate Vsaid toggle locking mechanism 'from andV to toggle locked Yposition and to open and close said doors, a shaft on which the driving sprocket is' rotatably mounted for limited rotary movement, a ratchet wheel rotatablerwith the shat of the driving sprocket, said ratchet Wheel having an annular ring portion and a segmental lug extending from the inner face of said annular portion inwardly towards the axis of the wheel, and a segmental lug on the driving sprocket, said segmental lugs on the ratchet wheel and sprocket being adapted to interengage to limit relative rotary movement between said shaft and driving sprocket.

5. The structure, according to claim 1, wherein a shaft extends transversely of the axis of the dri" 2g wheel, bevel gear drive means interconnects said shaft and said driving sprocket wheel, and a lost motion connection is interposed between said bevel gear drive means and said driving sprocket Wheel to allow the latter to rotate independently of the former during opening movement of said doors.

6. The structure, according to claim 1, wherein a shaft extends transversely of the axis of the driving sprocket wheel, bevel gear drive means interconnects said shaft Cil and said driving sprocket wheel, a lost motion connection is interposed between said bevel gear drive means and said driving sprocket wheel to aliow the latter to override the former during the opening operation of the doors, a ratchet wheel is rotatable in unison with said bevel gear drive means, a pivoted pawl engages said ratchet wheel, a cross-shaft extends transversely of said pivoted pawl, and cams extending in opposite directions from the axis of said cross-shaft are adapted alternately to engage with said pawl on opposite sides of its pivotai axis either to lock the same in locking engagement with said ratchet wheel or to move it to unlocked position.

References Si'ted inthe le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 770,306 Olden Sept. 20, 1904 1,044,265 Seaberg Nov. 12, 1912 1,497,931 Nekirk et al June 17, 1924 1,685,089 Kassier Sept. 25, 1928 2,288,784 Campbell July 7, 1942 

